Intermediate
Comparing IDE Integrations
Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code + Copilot, Cline, and JetBrains AI all have overlapping capabilities but meaningfully different strengths. This page gives you a direct comparison across the dimensions that matter for choosing between them.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Cursor | Windsurf | Copilot | Cline | JetBrains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inline completions | Strong | Strong | Strong | None | Strong |
| Chat panel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Agentic / multi-file editing | Yes (Composer) | Yes (Cascade) | Improving | Yes | Limited |
| Model selection | Full (BYOK) | Managed | Partial | Full (BYOK) | Managed |
| Base editor | VS Code fork | VS Code fork | VS Code extension | VS Code extension | JetBrains IDE |
| Project instructions file | .cursorrules | .windsurfrules | copilot-instructions.md | CLAUDE.md | AI prompt context |
Cost Comparison (2025)
Cursor Pro~$20/month - includes fast model requests
Windsurf Pro~$15/month
GitHub Copilot Individual$10/month or $100/year
ClineFree extension - pay Anthropic API rates (~$3–15/1M tokens depending on model)
JetBrains AIIncluded with JetBrains subscription (~$25–70/month depending on IDE)
Best For: Matching to Your Situation
- Solo developer, TypeScript/React/Python: Cursor - best agentic experience, model choice, community resources
- Large enterprise codebase, multi-language: Windsurf - semantic indexing handles large codebases better
- Team standardised on VS Code: GitHub Copilot - lowest adoption friction, existing GitHub integration
- Power user, API billing preferred: Cline - latest models, full control, no subscription overhead
- Java/Kotlin/Scala on IntelliJ: JetBrains AI - IDE-native type system and framework understanding beats generic editors
- Price-sensitive, heavy usage: Cline or Copilot - Cline's API billing can be efficient for moderate usage; Copilot is predictable at $10/mo
Migration Considerations
Switching between AI coding tools is lower-friction than switching editors, but consider:
- Cursor and Windsurf are VS Code forks - your VS Code extensions, keybindings, and themes transfer automatically
- Project instructions files (.cursorrules, .windsurfrules, copilot-instructions.md) have the same purpose but different file names - maintain in parallel during transition
- Copilot and Cline both run in VS Code - you can run both simultaneously and compare without commitment
- JetBrains → VS Code/Cursor is a bigger switch - consider JetBrains AI with a parallel evaluation of Cursor before committing to a full editor migration
Also Worth Reading
This page compares IDE integrations with each other. If you're deciding between an IDE integration and the Claude Desktop App (for non-coding work), see Desktop App vs IDEs.